Thomas' bat helps Ducks beat Bobcats 10-4

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EUGENE, Ore. – Brett Thomas went 3-for-5 with a RBI and a run scored to lead No. 16 Oregon to a 10-4 non-conference win over Texas State at PK Park on Wednesday night.

Thomas led Oregon’s 12-hit attack leading nine players who finished with at least one hit. The Ducks 12 hits were the fourth most of the season, while the 10 runs was the second most by Oregon in 2013.

J.J Altobelli chipped in two hits going 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. Tyler Baumgartner scored two runs, going 1-for-3 with a RBI.

The Bobcats jumped out to an early lead chasing starter Cole Wiper with three runs, two earned, on six hits in two innings. After leaving the bases loaded in the first and not scoring, Texas State came up with three runs in the second.

Oregon got two of them back in the third on a balk and a wild pitch by the Bobcats. Connor Hofmann led off the inning when he was hit by a pitch and moved to second on an Altobelli single. After advancing to third on a Scott Heineman fielder’s choice, Hofmann scored on a balk by Texas State starter Jeremy Hallonquist.

Heineman, who moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on the balk, came around to score on another wild pitch to pull the Ducks within a run.

UO added four runs in the fourth to take a 6-3 lead. Thomas and Baumgartner started the rally with back-to-back doubles to tie the game 3-3. After a walk and a sacrifice bunt moved Baumgartner to third and Ryan Hambright to second, Altobelli picked up two RBI with a single to center to give the Ducks a two-run lead. Aaron Payne added a RBI single to score Altobelli to finish the scoring in the inning for Oregon.

Texas State (5-12) got within two with a run in the top of the fifth, but the Ducks answered with two more runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to extend the lead to 10-4.

Thomas, who singled to lead off the fifth inning, scored on a pair of throwing errors to give Oregon a 7-4 lead. Baumgartner scored the second run in the fifth on a piece of good base running on a sacrifice bunt by Hofmann that advanced Shaun Chase to second. Baumgartner scored from third after pitcher Donnie Hart fielded the bunt, spun and threw to second, beating the throw from first baseman Ben McElroy.

In the sixth, Ryon Healy doubled to left field to put runners on second and third with one out. Payne, who reached base before Healy when he was hit by a pitch, scored on a wild pitch by Kyle Finnegan. Thomas picked up a RBI with a single scoring Healy from third.

Jordan Spencer (2-0), the second of seven Oregon pitchers, picked up the win. Austen Williams (0-3), the second of seven Texas State pitchers, took the loss.

Oregon opens Pac-12 Conference play Friday in Los Angeles when they begin a three-game series at USC.